Independiente

Thursday, July 17, 2014

De Felippe resigns, Milito the candidate

Independiente coach Omar De Felippe after beating Huracán.

After several meetings Omar De Felippe finally decided to resign as Independiente coach yesterday as the new officials, led by trade union heavyweight Hugo Moyano, delayed the arrival of new signings to the club.

The trainer wanted to continue in charge of the team after a year in the National B Division and a return to top-flight soccer, but he will leave with only less than three weeks before Independiente’s debut in the Transition Tournament against Atlético Rafaela at the Libertadores de América stadium in Avellaneda. De Felippe, who had a contract lasting until September 30, coached 44 games, with 19 victories, 16 draws and nine defeats.

Reserve team coach Gabriel Milito is the main candidate to assume the role as the new coach. The 33-year-old Milito won the Apertura Tournament. The former national team defender returned to Independiente in 2011. However, he retired a year later due to several injuries that did not allow him to play properly.

He took charge of the reserve squad, known as the “Selectivo,” but has not had any other experience as a coach.

Another candidate to take De Felippe’s place is Jorge Burruchaga. The former Independiente midfielder and world champion with Argentina in 1986, resigned as Atlético Rafaela trainer after successfully leaving the team in the First Division.

Burruchaga has already coached Independiente in 2006, but he did not deliver a good season.

Now, Moyano, who won the presidential elections two weeks ago with almost 70 percent of the vote, and company will have to solve a new problem besides the signing of new players.

Ricardo Cirielli, the club’s press secretary, said yesterday that officials will wait for Milito’s decision. If he rejects the offer, then they will look for other alternatives. Another candidate is Juan Antonio Pizzi, who led San Lorenzo to win the Initial Tournament trophy in 2013. He was fired from Valencia of Spain a week ago.